The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-12
DAZZLE AND GLITTER.
Such Is Life In the Diamond: Fields of South
AfrIca-&30, 600 Paid for . Woman.

a
explorers that went out to South Africa IN loao,
bent discovering diamonds and gold. And
they did. The largest diamond field IN the
world was their reward.
This diamond field is located on and the
river Vol, which is the dividing line between
the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free
State. kaywood's Hope is the name of the
place There are two kinds of diggings there
the river diggings and the dry diggings At the
river diggings the process of finding diamonds Is
akin to that of mining for gold Cd the plan en-
poyed in north Georgia. In the dry diggings
the cirt that is mined is worked through many
ALTERS, at first coarse, but gradually getting
finer and finer.
Kimbley is the name of the mining town. In
1871. when the diamond fever at its height,
kim bey was a canvass city of 90.OO0 Souls.
Imagine great sea of tents, in which the miners
and diggers found temporary home 1t had
the appearance at distance as If an immense
flock of white feathered birds covered the
ground for the space of many acres. Great
hotels, made of canvas, moved from day to day
as the exigencies of the situation demanded, gave
sleeping place at night to the thousands upon
Thousands of miners. Every roof in the town In
1870 was of canvas. The mining field extends
over eighteen acres. divided off into claims
thlrtv-one feet square AT first these claims
were sold to the miners at ten shllings each, and
were taxed in addition ten shillings per month
After the revolution the government reorganized
the letting of claims, and the kimbey mining
board decided that they were worth from twenty
five to sixty pounds sterling. according to the
value of the find, and were taxed also to support
she Kimbley government
W
troll of agland, consists of a governor, Judge,
a SUPER .tendent of police. three magistrates,
policemen and other officers necessary to the
execution of the law. There is no regiment
stationed at k1mbley, though at the time the
people revolted on account of the excessive tax
alton English soldiers were stationed there until
all had become quiet The population of Kim
bley consists Of representatives from every
nation earth. The sturdy Enclshman is
there in, perhaps, the greatest number, closely
pressed by the enterprising American. There
FrenChmeu. I-ishmeu Germans
Turks, Danes Jews Italians. Zuus and people
from the four quarters of the globe.
The fields mines are sworked by natives,
''nicgers," who paid ten shillines per week
and found. There FROM eigh. to ten mig
gers" to claim, who are watched closely by an
oyerseer. Notwithstanding the strlctest espion-
age. the integers" manage to secrete and steal
diamonds. OF course, there many illicit
diamond buyers, who encourage the integers"
in these th-fts, and who buy from them all the
diamonds they can steal strong feeling ex-
lists against the Illicit buyers The evil grew to
such monstrous proportions that vigilance COM
nalttees were formed to teach the illicit buyers
lesson or two about honesty. Traps were laid
for them.
Trusty negroes were furnished with diamonds
and made to act as decoys for the illicit buyers.
When one found the vglantes burned his
house, gave him fifty lashes upon his bare back
in theSpublic place at Kimbley. and made him
leave the dggings AS has been stated, the
"niggers" would, despite the closest scrutiny,
manage to secrete diamonds. The Atwell
Brothers, who worked claim at Kim bley.
q n
imm ediately seized him and cut him open,
gaining the diamond!
OF course they were arrested and tried for
murder. Judge Barry was on the bench, the
jury was composed of miners who had SYM
pathy with the 'niggers," and were especially
hard upon fhefts Notwithstanding the judges
effort TO have justice done. the Atwell brothers
were acquitted. The Judge sarcastically
thanked the jury for their impartial action, and
expressed the hope that when they became to be
tried at the great assize in heaven. they would
find a a m
them. But the public sentiment at Kim bley
approved the verdict
KimbleyP
81 had the honor of weighing the largest dia-
mond found at the Kimbley digg ms, and
the largest in the world far. It
found on the claim of Robert Spauldine, an
Englishman. Spaulding did not work the claim
himself. 1t was worked by Frenchman named
Antoine Williams, on shares, who found the dia-
mond. 1 weighed it and placed value upon it.
500. 900!
1.-THE stone has never been cut yet. nor has it
ever been polished but its value is ndisputable,
and it has since then changed hands many
times. The Frenchman who found it received
Sl5, 900 for his share. Spauldlng, the owner of
the diamond, sold it to j. B. Robinson, dia-
mond merchant. who carried it to England. The
stone was afterward resold, and is in the
French market and is the property OF French
company"
'.What has been the yield of the Kimbley dig
ginesP
years
aggregate value of the finds at kimbley were
f6, 000.0 600 sterling, or s40, O0O, 600. Now the
yield is from to two million dollars per
There is no diminution in the value of the hnds
on the contrary, the deeper the diggers go the
more numerous the diamonds aud they improve
in quality and luster the greater distance they
from the surface of the earth. The city is
full of merchants who are always ready to take
diamonds off the miners hands. The prices paid
generally fair, for they are valued by i'm
partial experts who are paid for their work"
IA heeomaS OF o.
queried the reporter.
'.As in all mining communities, most of it is
spent in dissipation. Kimbley is filed with
dram and liquor shops, music halls, theaters,
cock pits, gam bling dens, and every conceivable
form of dissipation. Miners. you know. are
proverbial for their recklessuess, and they liter
allv waste their money in these places few
send part of their earnings home to wives and
families and their relations. some buy other
claims, and add to their wealth in this manner.
Some build good houses. and the city now is fast
becoming wellbuilt, substantial place; but the
majority of tine miners live rapidly and quickly
spend ali they can get.
'Kimbley has morning newspaper known as
the Diamond News, and occasionally get copy
of the paper now. 1t is edited by freshman
named j. w. Murray There is also another
paper called the Independent, there.
''Kimbley is not as large place as it formerly
It now has abont thirty thousand inhab-
ltants, but it is OF the most prosperous places
in south Africa. 1t is five hundred miles from
Port Elizabeth and seven hundred miles from
Cape Town. Railroads now connect Kmbey
of access.
Before left. the social tone of the place had
improved very much. Churches had been
tablished. The Episcopal, Catholic Dutch Re-
formed, and Wesleyan all had handsome and
commodious houses there. The hotels were
good, all the conveniences of city life had been
established, and there was very great differ
ence between the Kimbley of 1871 and the
Kimbley of 1881. The English and Americans
had established q club. which was well con-
Quoted and afforded pleasant place for
ton and enjoyment. 1t is called the "Diggers
Club"
Mr. Caldon told the reporter that the eighteen
acres covered by the diamond field, divided into
claims thirty one feet square, had been exca-
waited to the depth of 700 feet. Think of il, a
square pocket 700 feet deep extending over an
area of eighteen acres!
What becomes of the vast amount of dirt
taken out of this placer asked the reporter.
ut is carted off two or three miles and piled i
up in one place. The pile, of course has become
an immense one. The miners call it Mount
Ararat,' and when l it last it was almost